Solivagant

Prologue

The little boy had never been so scared. 

The market square, bustling with life and energy just moments previously, was in the middle of a massive, unearthly storm. Screaming people were rushing every which way, scrambling for cover as wooden stalls were upturned and thrown into the air by the rising winds. And in the very center of the chaos, a dark, shadowy figure was fighting a young woman. The boy risked a glance over his shoulder just in time to see the woman raise her hands, sending a bolt of lightning flying towards the shadow. Its shape wavered and dissolved, and the lightning passed through it, hitting a tall building and sending a shower of debris and fire on the people below. More screams.

He'd been told to run, but it was all the little boy could do to avoid being trampled underfoot. Desperate, he darted through the mass of bodies, aiming for a small shopfront a few yards away. Somebody slammed into his shoulder, nearly throwing him to the ground, but he managed to catch himself and pressed up against the front door of the building. With wide, terrified eyes, he helplessly watched the battle continue. The two figures were still locked in combat. Bolts of light and darkness flew from their fingers, wreaking havoc on their surroundings. Every time they collided, the earth trembled, slowly shaking the square to pieces. Dust filled the air, choking the boy's lungs and making it harder to see the fighters.

And then, without warning, it all ended. An earth-shattering boom rent the air, and a tremendous wave of energy blasted outwards as an unseen barrier ruptured. Many people stumbled--the boy toppled to the ground, skinning his knees on the cobbled street.

He lifted his head just in time to see the woman fall to her knees, and then her hands. A thin blade was sticking out from her back, and the ground beneath her was splattered with a dark red liquid. The shadow towered over her, victorious, as the violent storm grew in power.

A long, broken sob escaped the boy's mouth. Before the shadow could turn its head, the child was gone, having vanished into the crowd once again. He ducked under outstretched arms and dodged knees until he reached a narrow, empty alley. In its safety, he broke down, freely mourning until he was empty and brittle, a shell of a human being.

Finally, when he'd run out of tears, he painfully clambered to his feet. His heart feeling sick and black, he did the only thing he could think to do.

He kept running.